A POTPOURRI OF NEWS

In summer, the song sings itself- William Carlos Williams

Doesn't that describe summer? Especially when you live in Minnesota where it seems you have winter nine months of the year and then you FINALLY get to SUMMER! I think we appreciate it even more! Remember to take time to "take it all in"....especially if you live up NORTH.

 Just Precious Vintage  Yesterday I mentioned Janis Mineart and her vintage notions business. Here's another photo of some of her treasures. Notice the punch bowl full of buttons where you may purchase a cupful. If you'd like to purchase any of her lovely things you can find them at Generations of Harmony in Harmony, Minnesota. You may also contact her directly at justpreciousvintage@gmail.com. She has many fun and beautiful items!

Living At The Plum   This post is going to be almost like a newsletter because I'm just posting a potpourri of different newsworthy items. Well, maybe some not so newsworthy. Like this one: I've decided to add a little section called, "LIVING AT THE PLUM". As many of you know, we live in a BIG HOUSE ( known as the Plummer House ) that we don't own. After living here 20 years, we've just come to call it" THE PLUM". It is owned by the city and we live in the WEST WING and oversee events, our official title being, RESIDENT DIRECTORS. It is a 49 room English Tudor mansion built and owned by Dr Plummer, a physician who worked closely with the Mayo Brothers of the WORLD FAMOUS MAYO CLINIC ( or the WFMC, for short ). The 49 rooms also includes our living area which used to be part of Dr Plummer's workshop ( our living room ) and servants living quarters.

Well, last night my, husband, Les, hollered up from the shower in the garage, " DO YOU WANT TO SEE A TARANTULA?" First of all, yes, we have a shower in the garage. The garages are all "indoors" and heated and one of the previous Directors hooked up a shower in it. We DO actually have a shower in the BATHROOM but my husband prefers the one in the GARAGE. Go figure! Back to the tarantula. To my knowledge ( and I could be wrong on this one ) we don't have tarantula's in Minnesota. But I decided to just go along. "I'LL PASS!", I hollered back. "No, you GOTTA SEE THIS GIGANTIC SPIDER!" Well, spiders and snakes are on my list of "Things I don't want to see" so I told Les to just KILL the thing because it was ON MY LIST OF THINGS I DON'T WANT TO SEE!  When I see a big spider I'm afraid to even step on it to kill it because I imagine ( and I have a great imagination ) putting my foot on it and it just runs away carrying me on top! Well,  I heard some slapping around down there and I THINK he got it killed. This is one of the bad things ( there are a LOT more GOOD things ) about living in THE PLUM; GIGANTIC INSECTS AND SPIDERS. I'm not sure why BIG HOUSES should have BIG BUGS but this one does! I figure they must live in the walls ( where no one can step on them ) for 20 years or so and then they grow and grow until they just come out BIG after all that time. Anyway, that's my LIVING AT THE PLUM story for today.

Yard Sales    Les and I were up in the Twin Cities recently and it being Saturday we noticed A LOT of garage sales signs. We hadn't planned on stopping but OUR CAR STOPS FOR SALES automatically I think. We found some interesting things like these old faux fur collars. I've been trying to find out what  era they might be from so if anyone out there has any information, let me know because I don't remember these being "in" in MY day and I go back aways. I might not have even picked these up but it was the last day  of their sale and it was "bag day" so I threw them in the bag. The sale was put on by a group as a fundraiser and the people there were elderly so I imagine they had lots of  interesting old things there the first two days.

                                                    This one's actually kind of creepy.

I also found this lovely bowl.

We found many other  interesting treasures as well, including a dresser and old oak coffee table. We came home with a carload and hadn't even planned on it! Can you relate?

Where Bloggers Create   A big thank you to all the bloggers for sharing their beautiful spaces for the blog party, "Where Bloggers Create". And thank you also to Karen  Valentine for hosting this fun event. It has been very INSPIRING  and has given THIS new blogger and "vintage seeker" lots of ideas for creating a more inviting and lovely space to create. I try to look at a few blogs every day and am looking forward to seeing YOURS in the future. However,  in my excitement to begin following many of those blogs I've discovered, I accidentally DELETED all the favorite blogs I follow! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? Now I have to go and try to get you all back on there so I can easily click on them and find you! So be patient. I'll find you! I haven't deleted you on purpose.  : )

Family    I hope you'll allow me a little indulgence now and then as a proud Gramma. Here's our latest little guy, Charlie. Big dark eyes and white curly hair at twenty months!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!